Best SK audio book and version

[knittinjen]

I'm almost all-audio, and I LOVED Steven Webber's IT, and I love Insomnia (who?? can't remember) and once I get used to him each time, I love SK himself reading Bag of Bones - because I know everything is pronounced right and the author knows how to tell his story VERY well!! I like all the Frank Muller books and think George Guidell did a decent job of picking up, though he doesn't have that awesome Eddie Dean voice that Muller has - ah, well.

One more plug for my biggest audio-book peeve, though - Under the Dome - HORRIBLE!!! WISH he'd get somebody else to re-do it.

Ooooh, SK read the Gunslinger? That must be the original version? I read that first when I was real young, 12 or 13, and then again when Wolves came out, and realized there were all these tie-ins - then I went back and got my mom's copy of the book that I Had read as a kid and realized it was all changed! So that was fun, but I'd love to listen to SK read the original version!!

[The Lady Of Pain]

I know this thread is a little old, but I was searching for "best Stephen King audiobooks" because I wanted to find a new one (I'm a huge audiobook fan...and I huge SK fan). I actually have aspirations of being an audiobook reader and one of my dreams is to read for SK's books. I had honestly forgotten that I had joined this forum not too long ago. lol. XD;

I'm just finishing up Insomnia (read by Eli Wallach) and just LOVED it. Dolores Clairborne is up next.


I'm just going to go down the list of the books I've listened to and give my opinion on each:

11/22/63 - I loooooooooved this! Craig Wasson does a phenomenal job. He really brings life to the characters and story. I honestly would be listening to a CD at night, thinking to myself "Ok...when this is over I've really got to go to bed" and then I'd get so caught up in the story I'd just HAVE to continue listening. 10/10

'Salem's Lot - It's been a while since I listened to this one, but I think I enjoyed it. lol, I was actually planning on renting it from the library again. ?/10

Cell - While there were things I liked and didn't like about the story on this one (I won't give anything away), I liked Cambell Scott's reading of it. I listened to it at work (I do house cleaning and I'm often by myself...so sometimes I'll bring a book to listen to) and it really helped the hours go by faster. 8/10

Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - I honestly could not get through one chapter of this. I know people love Frank Muller, but I can't stand him. Which is a shame, because there are a lot of SK books that I love that I want to hear the audiobook versions of. I think it's mainly because he always sounds like he's reading a script for some epic movie trailer. And he tends to end his phrases in this funny way....I can't describe it in words...but it gets on my nerves. It's like he's exhaling the last word. 1/10

Desperation - Loved it. The version I have is read by Stephen King, but apparently there's one out read by Kathy Bates. Don't know which is better. 9/10

Duma Key - It's strange, but I really can't remember much about this one. I guess it didn't really stick with me. However, I don't remember disliking it. 6/10

Everything's Eventual - Now, I'm sure I read this one...but I can't remember anything about it. Duma Key I remember the main story, but I remember NOTHING about any of the stories in this. ?/10

From A Buick 8 - This one is another 10/10. One of my favorites.

Full Dark No Stars - I remember being a bit disappointed with this one, however I just listened to the sample on the audiobook page of this site and was liking what I was listening to, so I'm not sure. Maybe it was just my mindset at the time. I may give it another chance. ?/10


Oy...I'll do the rest later. Getting tired. I didn't realize how many SK audiobooks I've actually listened to, lol.

[kingricefan]

Stephen King actually did an audio recording of the Gunslinger (and the next two books from the series) which puts Muller's reading to shame. They were only available as cassette tapes, wish 'they' would re-release them on discs. It's always a much better experience listening to the author read their own works.

I know this thread is a little old, but I was searching for "best Stephen King audiobooks" because I wanted to find a new one (I'm a huge audiobook fan...and I huge SK fan). I actually have aspirations of being an audiobook reader and one of my dreams is to read for SK's books. I had honestly forgotten that I had joined this forum not too long ago. lol. XD;

I'm just finishing up Insomnia (read by Eli Wallach) and just LOVED it. Dolores Clairborne is up next.


I'm just going to go down the list of the books I've listened to and give my opinion on each:

11/22/63 - I loooooooooved this! Craig Wasson does a phenomenal job. He really brings life to the characters and story. I honestly would be listening to a CD at night, thinking to myself "Ok...when this is over I've really got to go to bed" and then I'd get so caught up in the story I'd just HAVE to continue listening. 10/10

'Salem's Lot - It's been a while since I listened to this one, but I think I enjoyed it. lol, I was actually planning on renting it from the library again. ?/10

Cell - While there were things I liked and didn't like about the story on this one (I won't give anything away), I liked Cambell Scott's reading of it. I listened to it at work (I do house cleaning and I'm often by myself...so sometimes I'll bring a book to listen to) and it really helped the hours go by faster. 8/10

Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - I honestly could not get through one chapter of this. I know people love Frank Muller, but I can't stand him. Which is a shame, because there are a lot of SK books that I love that I want to hear the audiobook versions of. I think it's mainly because he always sounds like he's reading a script for some epic movie trailer. And he tends to end his phrases in this funny way....I can't describe it in words...but it gets on my nerves. It's like he's exhaling the last word. 1/10

Desperation - Loved it. The version I have is read by Stephen King, but apparently there's one out read by Kathy Bates. Don't know which is better. 9/10

Duma Key - It's strange, but I really can't remember much about this one. I guess it didn't really stick with me. However, I don't remember disliking it. 6/10

Everything's Eventual - Now, I'm sure I read this one...but I can't remember anything about it. Duma Key I remember the main story, but I remember NOTHING about any of the stories in this. ?/10

From A Buick 8 - This one is another 10/10. One of my favorites.

Full Dark No Stars - I remember being a bit disappointed with this one, however I just listened to the sample on the audiobook page of this site and was liking what I was listening to, so I'm not sure. Maybe it was just my mindset at the time. I may give it another chance. ?/10


Oy...I'll do the rest later. Getting tired. I didn't realize how many SK audiobooks I've actually listened to, lol.

[cat in a bag]

I just started listening to 11/22/63 yesterday...Craig Wasson knocks it out of the park! I'm still pretty new at this audio book thing, but a little over 2 hours went by in the blink of an eye yesterday afternoon.

[Antony butterworth]

hello fans of the king

i am a big fan of audio books and have a large colection my favourites have to the gingerbread girl the ten oclock people and the last rung on the ladder

[aintshesweet]

I thought Under the Dome read by Raul Esparza was amazing. He was able to distinguish his voice with the many characters and I felt I was in the town of Chester's Mill under its dome. It is definitely something I will listen to again. I also loved IT. Steven Weber is a fantastic storyteller and was probably underrated for his work on this audiobook.

[Mary19]

I have never listened to a book, I'm afraid it will ruin the story for me, am I wrong?

[Vose]

I have never listened to a book, I'm afraid it will ruin the story for me, am I wrong?

I feared the same thing when my brother encouraged me to pick up listening to audiobooks, but it's GREAT! I thought my attention would wander or that I wouldn't get the meaning, but it was the opposite. I don't think it's for everyone, but I really love it. There's an afterword by Sai King after the audiobook for Wolves of the Calla that talks mostly about Frank Muller's (the reader) accident, but also about how Muller's reading of the books really got Stephen King back in to the Dark Tower series so that he could finish - "breathed new life in to the characters" I believe is how he put it. Try it!